Surface Phone Rumor Roundup: After No-Show At Microsoft’s October Event, Here’s What We Know So Far

Microsoft’s Surface Phone has neither been confirmed nor announced as of date, but it is already setting the rumor mill on fire. With tens of thousands of fans eagerly awaiting the arrival of the much-awaited flagship, the Surface Phone has a lot of hype to live up to. Without any concrete confirmation from Microsoft, all that fans of the Surface line have are rumors and other speculations. With regard to rumors, however, those that are emerging about the device have been very encouraging so far.

Numerous rumors have emerged about the Surface Phone over the last few months, and while some are very outlandish, there are those that actually make sense. Here’s a quick roundup of what the Surface Phone is shaping up to be, at least according to the rumor mill.

Surface Phone Release Date

The Surface Phone’s release date has been a point of debate ever since the device first made it to the news. Numerous speculations pointed to a late 2016 release date, especially after the introduction of the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book. A leaked image, which was released earlier this year and allegedly taken from Microsoft’s Building 88, appeared to show a display area with a reserved slot for a 2016 Surface device. This encouraged more rumors that the Surface Phone was indeed coming.

As the year wore on, however, the Surface Phone did not make an appearance. Microsoft’s latest event, which was held late October, unveiled a completely different device, the Surface Studio. Just like the previous events before it, the Surface Phone was not mentioned as well. Thus, it is pretty safe to assume that the Surface Phone would not be making an appearance anytime soon. If any, the device would most likely be unveiled around the same time as the rumored Surface Pro 5 and Surface Book 2. The official reveal for those devices is speculated to be sometime early 2017.

Surface Phone Specs

It is no surprise that rumors surrounding the specs of the Surface Phone point to a monster of a flagship phone. The Surface line, after all, is made up of devices that feature the best of what technology can offer at the time of its release. The Surface Pro 5 and the Surface Book, which proved critically and commercially successful, are perfect examples of this. If Microsoft would release a flagship phone with the Surface branding, it would most certainly pack some very impressive specs.

Rumors about the internals of the device paint a picture of a very formidable flagship, with speculations stating that the Surface Phone would pack either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 or an Intel Kaby Lake chip. The phone’s powerful processor is rumored to be paired with 6GB to 8GB of RAM, which is far beyond the memory used in today’s flagship devices. Rumors also point to a 5.7-inch 4K/2K display, as well as storage options of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.

While none of these specs have been confirmed or denied by Microsoft, a device with such a spec sheet would surely make a significant impact in the smartphone market.

Surface Phone Features

The Surface Phone is rumored to come with several key features that would make it a truly unique device. It is no secret that the smartphone market is currently saturated with iOS and Android devices, resulting in Microsoft’s Windows 10-powered Surface Phone basically turning into a niche device. Despite this, however, the Surface Phone might be the device of choice for a very specific and very lucrative market: the business sector.

With this in mind, rumors about the Surface Phone have focused primarily on productivity. A dedicated keyboard cover, as well as a smaller, equally capable Surface Pen, have been rumored for the device. Apart from these accessories, the upcoming Windows flagship is also rumored to feature its own kickstand, just like its larger sibling, the Surface Pro 4. As interesting as these speculated features are, however, Microsoft has neither denied nor confirmed these rumors.

If any of these rumored features do make it to the final iteration of the Surface Phone, it would make the device into the one true flagship that is specifically designed for the corporate sector. Considering the niche that the Surface devices have successfully targeted so far, the Surface Phone would most likely find a perfect place for itself within Microsoft’s business consumers.

Surface Phone Final Thoughts

The Surface Phone is Microsoft’s chance at making a significant impact in the hyper-competitive smartphone market. The smartphone industry is currently dominated by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems. Windows 10 mobile, as much as it is powerful and robust, commands a minute fraction of the market.

Part of the reason behind this is because Microsoft has so far been releasing flagships under the Lumia line, which the tech giant adopted after it acquired Nokia. Thus, while Microsoft’s previous flagships have been quite capable, there were aspects of the device, such as the Lumia 950’s plastic body, that were poorly received by users and critics alike.

By adopting the Surface brand for its upcoming flagship phone, Microsoft might be pressing the reset button on its rumored smartphone efforts. Just like the Surface Pro line, the Surface Phone would be a flagship that is constructed and designed by Microsoft from the ground up. If done properly, the tech giant could very well create a killer device worthy of toppling the giants of the smartphone industry, such as the Apple iPhone, the Samsung Galaxy S, and the Google Pixel.

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[Featured Image by Pixabay]